Kadai Chicken

This is a yummy kadai chicken recipe shared by a good friend of mine Upendra..Thanks Uppu for sharing this wonderful recipe. I am definitely trying this soon!

Ingredients:
1lb Chicken

1 Onion, medium (preferably red onion)

1 Tbsp coriander seeds

1 Tbsp cumin seeds

1/2 Tbsp whole black pepper (depends on your spicyness)

2 Tomatoes, medium

1/4 Bell pepper

Ginger garlic paste, to taste
Red chilli powder, to taste
Salt, to taste

Method:

1. Cut chicken into medium pieces and marinate with turmeric powder and little bit of ginger garlic paste (we will be using more gingergarlic paste in teh masala)
2. Fry coriander seeds, cumin seeds till very light brown color and they start to give out the masala smell.
3. Grind these 2 seeds along with the black pepper. Do not make a fine powder. Keep it granular.this is the masala that we will be using. and the main ingredient of taste
4. Pour  oil in kadai (important that its a kadai to get that ultimate taste and more the oil more the taste). Put the chopped onions. Saute till very light brown.
5. Add a tea spoon of masala, ginger garlic paste and tea spoon of red chilli powder  and little bit of salt(remember not to put a lot of masala, salt and red chilli as we will put more of this later)
6. add finely chopped tomatos.
7. Mix all these well and put a lid on the kadai and let it cook on medium heat. after about 2-3 minutes check if tomatos start oozing juice. Once the tomatos are cooked, add chopped capsicum (do not chop it finely, let it be a bit big pieces. size of a dice).
8. Fry them for about 1-2 mins.
9. Now, add chicken, add the masala, red chilli powder (you can add according to your spicy limits) and salt according to the taste
10. Mix well and put the lid back. after about 3-4 minutes check if water starts to ooze. At this point pour some water (as required for the gravy)
11. Put the lid back and let the chicken cook. After 4-5 minutes remove the lid and cook the rest with out a lid till the gravy thickens.

Have it with chapatis or naans...yummy kadai chicken ready!!!!

Chicken Kurma

This chicken kurma is a perfect side dish for paratas or chapatis and even rice.

Ingredients:
Chicken thighs/breasts - 1 1/2 lbs
Onion, diced - 1 large
Tomato, diced - 1 large
Coconut, shredded - 1/3 cup
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon stick - 2 nos
Cloves - 4
Cardamom - 1
Ginger Garlic, paste - 1 Tbsp
Cilantro, chopped - 1 Tbsp
Chilli powder -  1/2 Tbsp
Coriander Powder -  1/2 Tbsp
Tamarind paste - 1/2 Tbsp
Salt, to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Add the onions and sauté until golden and add the ginger garlic paste and sauté until the raw smell goes away.
2. Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté for a few minutes. Add the chilli and coriander powders and salt and sauté for a minute and then add the chicken and let it cook for a few minutes.
3. Add 2 cups of water and cover and cook for 2 whistles and switch off.
4. Meanwhile grind the coconut and the fennel seeds to a fine paste.
5. Remove the lid once the pressure goes off, switch on flame again and add the coconut paste and tamarind paste and let it all boil until it forms a loose gravy like consistency.

Serve with chapatti or rice

Fish Puttu

"Sora puttu" is a very famous dish in tamiladu and its made with shark fish. Shark is not commonly found here everywhere. But you can get it in korean supermarkets if you want to. Traditionally the fish is steam cooked and shredded. This recipe instead uses salmon as it's very commonly found. And I think it's the perfect replacement fish for this dish. I made this once with salmon and was so satisfied that I never tried to find other alternatives.

Ingredients:
Salmon - 2 lb.
Onions - 2 medium
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves - 5 nos
Green chillies - 2 large
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Salt, to taste

Method:

1. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on the fish and pan roast the fish with 1 Tbsp of olive oil for 2-3 minutes on each side until cooked through. Remove fish from pan and keep aside to cool. 
2. In the same pan, heat another Tbsp of oil, add mustard seeds, jeera, curry leaves, red chillies and onions and sauté until the onions are well browned. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt.
3. Meanwhile shred the roasted fish and add it to the saute pan and keep frying until the everything is well roasted. 

Mutton Kurma

Who doesn't like mutton? My husband loves mutton in any form and growing up my brother was pretty much like that too..hmm..Is this is a guy thing? :) Anyway, this is a mutton curry adapted from my mil's recipes. My mom's is a little different from this which I will post some other time for sure..

Ingredients:
Mutton - 2 lbs
Onion, diced - 1 large
Tomato, diced - 1 large
Chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Curry powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1tsp
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 Tbsp
Meat Masala - 2 tsp (optional)
To Grind: 
Onion - 1/2 large
Poppy seeds - 1 tsp
Coconut, shredded - 2 Tbsp
Fennel seeds - 2 tsp
Red chillies - 2
Cashews - 4 nos

Method:

1. Grind all the ingredients from the "To Grind" list into a paste.
2. Take a pressure cooker and add all the rest of the ingredients from above. Add the ground paste and add 2 cups of water and cook in medium flame for 3-4 whistles and switch off.
3. Once the pressure goes off, remove the lid and boil in medium flame until the gravy thickens and oil separates out. Add cilantro and serve hot.